


The Hope of Open Hands

by viciousmollymaukery



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: (of a kind), Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Future Fic, Kissing, M/M, Sunburn, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Trans Essek Thelyss, wound care
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:47:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27850258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/viciousmollymaukery/pseuds/viciousmollymaukery
Summary: Caleb takes his husband on a much-needed vacation to the coast. Unfortunately, the skies of Nicodranas differ vastly from what Essek is used to.
Relationships: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 4
Kudos: 107





	The Hope of Open Hands

**Author's Note:**

> I got a prompt on tumblr for some soft future setting shadowgast, and I liked this one enough to post it here! 
> 
> Enjoy! :)

The trip to Nicodranas had been Caleb’s idea. After the two of them working nonstop to rebuild Soltryce from the ground-up for the last three years, sending the students home for the summer had been a no-brainer, at least to him. Jester had been more than willing to open up the Chateau for them to stay at, and had organized no shortage of activities to keep them busy over the next six weeks before they returned to the Empire.

Still, Caleb could occasionally squeeze in a few quiet moments like this one—waking up _before_ his ‘drow-only-need-to- _trance-_ I’ll-have-you-know’ husband to catch him still dozing, one hand linking with Caleb’s around his middle and the other slung out in front of him so his fingers just barely dangled over the edge of their bed. Essek may have been facing away from him, but Caleb could still picture the relaxed, peaceful expression on his face.

He scoots a bit closer, ruffling the sheets a bit and earning an annoyed _chirp_ from Frumpkin near his feet, and pulls Essek into a spooning position with his head below Caleb’s chin. The motion is still enough to wake him even with Caleb being as stealthy as he can, and Essek makes a soft _“hm”_ as he joins the world of the waking.

“G’morning,” Essek mumbles, twisting sleepily around in Caleb’s arms to face him, tucking his face into the hollow of Caleb’s throat.

“ _Gut_ _en_ _Mo_ _rgen_ ,” Caleb whispers back, leaning down to press a quick kiss to the top of his head. In truth, he wasn’t _that_ surprised that they’d both slept in; being on the beach for several hours the day before, competing in the sandcastle building contest Jester had set up, had been a bit taxing. “Did you sleep okay?”

“Mm hmm.” Essek yawns, the motion shuddering through his whole body before he pulls himself closer to Caleb. “Mostly. I must say, I didn’t expect the summers here to be quite so… humid. I ended up tossing and turning a bit.”

Caleb smiles. The difference between the climate of Nicodranas and that of Rosohna or Rexxentrum was definitely palpable. “I did try to warn you.” He lifts one arm to run his hand through Essek’s hair, and frowns a bit when his fingertips brush against skin that is much warmer than he’s used to. He presses the back of his hand against Essek’s forehead to confirm his findings, and the results are the same.

Essek blinks at him, apparently and rightfully confused. “What’s wrong?”

“Are you feeling okay? Fever, sore throat, anything like that?” He asks, inspecting Essek’s neck for any telltale swelling. They’d picked up their fair share of bugs and sicknesses from teaching children, and both knew how to deal with it if that was the case, but it would seriously put a damper in their much deserved vacation.

“I feel fine, just—” Essek pulls away a fraction, wincing slightly, and Caleb drops his hand. “That… stings, sort of?”

Caleb puts the pieces together then, relieved when his diagnosis is presumably minor. “You’re sunburned, I think,” he says.

Of course, even with copious amounts of sunscreen, tinted glasses, and a parasol with a localized Darkness spell, the harsh Nicodranas sun would win in the end. But he’d been prepared for that to happen, and had gone to Caduceus before they’d left for the coast for a handful of things they might need if such an incident arose.

He disentangles himself and reaches for the small jar of salve in his nightstand drawer as he hears Essek sigh in exasperation. “I don’t often miss Rosohna,” he mutters, “but now is one of those rare times.”

Caleb _hmms_ in sympathy, sitting cross-legged in against the headboard as he painstakingly pries open the jar, thinking fleetingly of how much Beauregard would laugh at him right now if she could see his efforts. “Here, sit in front of me. This will help.”

Essek shifts into position as Caleb scoops some of the light green, translucent salve into his fingers. It’s cool to the touch, with a slight numbing tingle that speaks to its medicinal properties. He spreads it over his hands, trying to warm it up a bit, but Essek still jumps and hisses when Caleb first touches his back.

“Are you okay?” Caleb asks, stilling his touch immediately and drawing his hand away.

“I’m fine,” Essek affirms. “It’s just… cold?”

“I know it’s a bit strange, but it will help.” Caleb carefully inspects Essek’s shoulders, noting the spots where the indigo skin is flushed the darkest to find the best place to begin anew. “Is it okay for me to keep going?”

Essek nods. “Mm hmm. Just, ah, don’t press too hard?”

“I won’t,” Caleb promises, carefully running his salve-coated palms over Essek’s shoulder blades, the heat from the burns sinking into them. He winces a bit at the sensation. “Remind me to ask Jester’s mother where we could buy some better sunscreen.”

“I doubt _I’ll_ need to remind _you_ ,” Essek chuckles.

“Very well,” Caleb smiles, applying more of the salve to his fingers before running them down the column of Essek’s neck.

The next few minutes pass in peaceful silence, with Caleb focusing entirely on the very important, delicate task in front of him. He diligently coats the rest of Essek’s neck and shoulders before moving down to his arms and part of his chest, careful to avoid the two crescent-shaped runic scars that rest against his ribs. When he’s finally satisfied that his work is complete, he sits back and sighs before nodding once.

“Okay, I think that’s everything. I just need to get your face last.”

Essek carefully turns around to face him, trying not to jostle the fluffy orange cat that had climbed into his lap without any intention of moving. “Is this good?”

Caleb smiles once he’s situated, taking a few moments to just study him and appreciating the fact that this person is a fixture in his life now. “You’re perfect.”

Essek flushes a shade or two darker, which is quite an accomplishment with the sunburn, and rolls his eyes. Still, there’s a flicker of a smile at the corners of his lips. “ _You’re_ getting sappy on me.”

Caleb gasps in mock affront, clutching at his chest. “Have I _not_ been sappy enough, as of late? Well, I’ll just have to remedy that.”

He smiles at Essek’s good-natured groan, pouring the remaining slave into his hand and dipping his other thumb in it. “Here, close your eyes?”

Essek squeezes his eyes shut, and Caleb takes his time smearing the salve across his cheekbones, down his nose, up his ears, and over his forehead, applying more than was strictly necessary but wanting to be safe rather than sorry. He knew how sensitive drow skin was to sunlight, and the last thing he wanted to do was fall short in his treatment.

“Are you done?” Essek asks once Caleb’s touch has vanished and he’s looking over his work once more, eyes still tightly closed.

Caleb considers for a moment. “Almost, there’s just one more thing.”

He leans forward and gently presses his lips to Essek’s, letting himself indulge in the sensation of kissing him for just a few moments. The crisp, herbal scent of the salve is sharp in his nose, but he really can’t bring himself to mind.

“There we go,” he whispers when he pulls away, delighted at how his own grin is mirrored on Essek’s face. “All done now.”


End file.
